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Major Crimes 2.5 Homebase

Well hello there! You've reached the

MAJOR CRIMES 2.5 HOMEBASE POST!

Welcome, welcome, make yourselves comfortable. If you're not sure why you're here because you don't watch the show, go get started immediately. If you're not sure you should, go look at this primer and then get started immediately. Because the second half of season two is where we're at right now! Eight probably crazy episodes, the last of which we're talking about tonight!

(PSA: I can't actually watch the episodes until Tuesday morning (GMT) but I'll definitely be around after. And for pre-episode flailing now.)

Oh, and stealing from Tash, if you click the

on this post, you'll get emails whenever there's a new comment on this post!

SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS, OBVIOUSLY.

We have moved to this post for season three, in case you hadn't noticed yet. Come join us over there! :)

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Complaints, questions, anything you can think of.

"After a bad batch of drugs claims the lives of two brothers, the race is on for the squad to find the dealer before more of their fellow high school students are threatened. Feeling smothered by his new around-the-clock security detail, Rusty faces a big decision."

3... 2... 1... GO!

I loved basically everything about it (with the teensy exception of that bit at the end where they're teasing the "is Rusty gay?" thing), but in particular:

* Rusty's "I love you"
* Sharon's "as his mother"
* All of Sharon's ridiculously subtle facial expressions
* Provenza's literal D: face when Sharon's upset with him for mentioning option three
* "Can I arrest him, ma'am? He should be arrested."
* Provenza calling her "Sharon"
* The way Sykes and Sanchez take one look at each other and run at the mention of option three
* The look on Tao's face when no one will let him finish describing the sex positions (I vaguely remember a similar scene with him and Brenda yeeeeears ago?)
* Dr. Morales
* THERAPY. ALL THE THERAPY, PLEASE AND THANK YOU

I couldn't agree more about that last bit. It just seemed so overdone.

All of Sharon's ridiculously subtle facial expressions
Those are my favourite every week!

And Sanchez's line was my favourite line this week and probably one of my favourite lines of this whole season. (Tied with the 'And because I know that you hate to hear me go on about the rules, I'm hanging up' from a few episodes ago.)

I haven't seen much of The Closer, so I can't say anything about Tao's first scene like that, but this week, his face was fantastic, yes. He looks so disappointed, and I think someone on tumblr wrote something along the lines of 'Let me talk about sex today; Provenza and Flynn do it all the time!' and that was just so hilarious to me.

Someone else who's excited for therapy, yay!

I love her subtlety. I get SO MAD whenever people criticize Sharon for being wooden and emotionless. Like, legit angry and they are clearly watching an entirely different show than I am, because she emotes beautifully, and never mind that she's either cried or been on the verge of tears more times than I can remember.

Aha, found it. It's from the beginning of 4.04 "Live Wire" with Brenda asking him Detectives Gabriel and Daniels are still dating, and the facial expressions and general body movements are more than I can ever describe adequately.

Tao: When you go beyond the purely carnal and the lust wears off--
Brenda: Okay, okay, that's enough! I don't wanna hear another word about that.

I am really, really happy about the therapy. Because he really, really needs more than Sharon can provide him in this particular instance, and I think it would do him a world of good with the right therapist.

Oh my god, where were you during the summer episodes? I said the exact same things then, especially about the therapy, but everyone on tumblr was just judging Sharon and Rusty for everything, and it made me really mad.

Ah yeah, I haven't seen that ep. But I can definitely see that scene happening in my head.

I don't know if you've seen BSG, but Mary McDonnell/emotions could easily be an OTP, on both shows. She's been so emotional ever since the show started, and anyone who says differently can answer to us.

Ha, I was quietly watching the show on my own and then after my heart exploded at the end of "Poster Boy" I peeked into the discussion spaces and walked right out again because excuse you, why are you telling me that Sharon and Rusty don't care about each other? >:( I've stuck to FFN and AO3 since then.

Something about Sharon Raydor brings out all my protective instincts despite the fact that the woman is nearly three times my age and dangerous to boot. IDEK.

I am at the end of BSG S2! And yes, Mary McDonnell/emotions. She is amazing. (My brother loves BSG but hates Laura Roslin with a burning passion because she is "too emotional about dying from cancer." We can't talk about it.)

Yeah, I understand completely. But from now on, you can come back to this post every week! ;) Yeah, fic sites tend do make me less mad, too.

Welcome to the club. I feel that way about several fictional characters, including Laura Roslin. It's great to read you're watching BSG and loving Laura. I'm gonna try and keep the icons I use non-spoilery. ;) (Dear god, I've got a couple of things to say to your brother, starting with 'excuse YOU I heard you were talking shit about Laura Roslin'. I guess I ought to be glad my relatives don't watch any of my shows.)

If you ever feel like making reaction or discussion posts about BSG in your journal, I will be there faster than Speedy Gonzales.

"When a newly released prisoner misses two back-to-back parole meetings, the squad is called in to track him down after the suspect’s therapist expresses concerns over his mental state. Meanwhile, Sharon invites therapist Dr. Joe Bowman to the office to evaluate Rusty over a game of chess."

WHO ELSE IS EXCITED?

The therapy bits were all perfectly done, from Dr. Joe's "I don't force therapy on people" to Sharon's "there's a difference between being mentally ill and emotionally injured speech" to the entire last scene between Joe and Rusty. I am really relieved at how well they handled it, because even the good shows tend to mishandle it some. (This is all IMO, of course--I personally found it hugely validating, but I totally respect that other people will feel differently.)

I laughed so hard at Sharon's "I'm not the kind of person who likes to get bogged down in all the rules" line. She said it with such a perfectly straight face, and the reaction of everyone around her was priceless.

My only complaints can be essentially boiled down to "there is too much murder in the murder show" and "why is there not a new episode every day?"

yessss i agree about the therapy bits. sometimes shows don't handle them well but ahhh this SHOW. <3

lol Sharon loves breaking the rules of course.

lol Sharon loves breaking the rules of course.
That screams for an AU fic tbh. Rebel Raydor.

I see we're on the exact same page re: the therapy again. Dr. Joe is perfect so far, and I really love having him as a recurring character. I think it was so important that they finally called it rape to Rusty's face because he needs to realise what it was that he went through and that it wasn't in fact his choice.

My only complaints can be essentially boiled down to "there is too much murder in the murder show" and "why is there not a new episode every day?"
+1. Why do we even need cases, really? Or any other days of the week except Monday?

RUSTYYYYYYYY

a good case, but to be honest i called the outcome at the beginning (i don't always with major crimes which is one of the things i like about it)

BUT RUSTY AND HIS THERAPY AND PEOPLE WHO LOVES HIM. BLESS EVERYTHING. and his obsession with chess i love it.

:')

Really? I didn't call it this time. At all. I have in the past, sometimes, but I guess I'm too into the character interactions to notice much else, woops. (There was an ep once that I had to watch a whole handful of times to realise what was actually going on because there was so much character stuff.)

Your Sharon icon is so pretty!

yeah i mostly don't, which is good, but this time i was like DEFINITELY THE FAMILY. and yeah usually i don't care because TEAM :D

Yeah, I'd guessed it was the sister but it definitely seemed like the family had done it.

But I'm another one who enjoys the cases well enough but is totally here for the team, so I don't always pay close attention.

yeah plus the lengths of eps are sometimes a giveaway because its never the first suspect!

:D exactly!! its all about the team

'Hey, Sanchez, do you know this guy?'
'Oh, yeah, right, 'cause all us LA Latinos, we know each other, right, Flynn? (beat) Oh, I do know him.'

F A V O U R I T E

LOL RIGHT? i laughed

Heeee. That was probably the funniest line we've had all season.

"When a body turns up at a posh country club in a quiet neighborhood, the squad’s investigation leads them down a money trail full of surprises. Flynn is noticeably distracted on the job, and Emma’s actions have Rusty questioning her intentions, causing him to distrust her even more."

Edited 2013-12-10 01:29 (UTC)

*squeaks*

*I couldn't tell you one single thing about the case.

*I loved how Rusty went off on Emma, and how they seem to have come to some sort of understanding at the end.

*The entire scene with Sharon and Rusty in the condo was perfect, but in particular the bit where he flings himself dramatically onto the couch, and her little smile when he answers "what are you going to do when you grow up?" with "A WITNESS."

*I'm really glad that Flynn and Provenza did not actually attend the ballet together for the express purpose of lying to his family about Sharon, but it's kind of fun to list all the different ways in which she would've killed them when it got back to her.

*AND THEN THE SCENE. WITH THE THING.

lol this case was so forgettable because FLYNN AND SHARON AND RUSTY AND EMMA.

I seriously couldn't tell you who died or why.

something about money or something. :D

*AND THEN THE SCENE. WITH THE THING.
I STILL CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT ALL.

Such a perfect episode, though.

Rusty was my favourite this week. He was just the right amount of melodramatic and honest. And I couldn't agree more on the scene you mentioned.

That Flynn & Provenza (& Sharon) idea sounds like it would make for good crack fic. Nudge nudge.

JOE FLANIGAN!

FAVOURITE SURPRISE TBH. Whenever I go find episode summaries, I usually see the guest stars mentioned, too, but this time, no names were dropped and THEN HE WAS SUDDENLY THERE. :D

IS HE DEPRESSED?
NO HE'S DEPRESSING

gosh i love this show

The dialogue is A+, especially where Provenza is concerned. Although that whole 'he wants to speak in confidence' thing was hilarious, too.

"Christmas vacation is interrupted for the Major Crimes Division when a baseball scout is found dead in his RV. The squad works through the murder case, unfolding a complicated kidnapping scheme. Meanwhile, Rusty opens up to Dr. Joe about his mom."

I usually haaaaaaaate Christmas episodes, but yeah, I loved this one.

Ugly Christmas sweaters! Provenza! Sharon and Rusty! The return of Dr. Joe! A case of the week that I actually paid attention to!

I was talking to someone about that ending, and she's worried that it means Rusty will leave. I'm hoping that it's supposed to be a good thing, because where Rusty once would've gone with his mother without hesitating, now he's not sure. But we're both expecting Sharon Beck to make an appearance now.

How come? Any particular reason for why you usually hate them? I actually love that they're sort extending the Christmas episodes on our show over half the winter season. There were decorations and stuff on 2x14, more on 2x15, and probably also some tonight. ♥.♥

Yessss, every single thing about that episode was perfect, wasn't it?

I don't at all think Rusty will leave (especially with his mother, should she make an appearance), but I do think he'll always think about that whole 'having nice things' thing he talked about to Sharon the other day, and I could totally see him feeling guilty about that and wanting to pay her back some way, so maybe he'd want to move out and get a job and support himself rather than have Sharon pay his college fees? That's the only way I could see him wanting to leave at the moment. And I, too, think that's the way the whole scene was meant to be taken; that he's no longer ready to run off with his mother now that he's seen how kind people can be, and has started to question the things his mother said and did to him.

Provenza is basically santa. HE BOUGHT THE TOYS FOR THAT GUYYYYYYYY

This really is the Rusty show for me now. SHARON'S OBSESSION WITH ANGELS A;LDKGJA

oh and the case was good too

He totally is!

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. And I'm so annoyed by all those people on tumblr who say they want Rusty to be gone. Siiiigh. Sharon's angels are the best. Did anyone else notice how many of those were in the office, too? She totally snuck in at night and put them all up.

"When a well-off graduate student gets shot to death in a gang-riddled neighborhood, the Major Crimes Division must work with the FBI, including Fritz Howard to find his killer. Throughout the investigation, it is revealed how each member of the unit became interested in joining the police force."

"A year-end blowout sale becomes literal for a used-car lot after one of its owners is killed when a bomb explodes. While the squad tries to find who is responsible, Rusty dons a bullet-proof vest under the watchful eye of Lt. Chuck Cooper, an SIS (Special Investigation Section) supervisor, in an attempt to catch the person responsible for threatening his and Sharon’s life."

*Amy was amaaaazing.

*I really can't explain just how much I love watching Sharon be a mother. And this episode was so beautifully done, because she was SO WORRIED, and it was so subtle.

*WHAT THE HELL, RUSTY. I'm sure he was nervous and I will defend this boy forever, but some of the things he said.

Amy was one of my three favourite parts of this whole episode, yes! (The other two being Julio pulling out the chair for Sharon, and the pizza scene.)

Yet again, I completely agree on your second point. WHAT ELSE IS NEW.

I was so worried for Rusty, dear god. But I know what you mean, I think.

Yes, those two moments were great and some of my favorites from all season, because that never would've happened a year ago. I love how comfortable they all are with each other.

The "or I'll bleed out, whatever" bit I think was nerves and I actually did laugh (and then felt bad because Sharon looked like she was about to cry), but the "we're different people" line from the beginning sounded really... out of place? IDK. I did love that scene otherwise, because it demonstrates how much Rusty treats Sharon like a parent. And his driving was hilarious.

Yes, that's what I love about the show in general these days. There's been such fantastic character development in the entire team!

The "or I'll bleed out, whatever" bit I think was nerves and I actually did laugh (and then felt bad because Sharon looked like she was about to cry)
You and me both! Such a roller coaster ride.

"The squad must work quickly to track down a serial killer before he strikes again. Meanwhile, things get dangerous over a game of chess."

sorry i'm late.

I never for a second thought either of them was in any real danger of dying, and I still nearly had a heart attack. SO CREEPY.

Why does Stroh care about killing Sharon? Is it a ploy to frighten Rusty out of testifying? Because I think that'd backfire big time.

Sharon was such a total badass.

And the HUG. The way he just sort of flings himself into her arms, and her hands on his face, and "you saved me again"... *sobs*

I had the exact same reaction. By the time she was chasing the guy, I was chewing on my goddamn fingers because I was so nervous.

Iiii am super confused about that part, honestly. I mean, I get the intel on the entire team, but why kill Sharon or Rusty? Killing them both, or killing just Rusty would make sense, but not only Sharon. I would imagine it would backfire, yes, because it would make Rusty far more bent on testifying.

The entire episode was a bit of an enigma. I mean, didn't James Duff hint (or more like, come right out and say) that we would be 'surprised' by who the letter writer is? That's what started all the speculation in the first place. And now it's someone a) Rusty doesn't know, b) we don't know, and c) Stroh hired to have Rusty killed? What about that is a surprise? Not a thing, that's what. And it wasn't like the writer lived in Sharon's building, so no surprise there either.

And the HUG. The way he just sort of flings himself into her arms, and her hands on his face, and "you saved me again"... *sobs*
F A V O U R I T E

aka, DON'T LEAVE ME, SHOW! :'(

"The Major Crimes unit draws closer to finding a dangerous serial killer. Rusty faces his biggest challenge yet when he bravely takes the stand against Phillip Stroh. Complicating the case further, the team goes head to head with Linda Rothman, a tough, powerful attorney who doesn’t let morals stand in her way of winning a case."

Edited 2014-01-13 12:59 (UTC)

I loved damn near every single thing about it, but IN PARTICULAR:

* Provenza. Just... he was so good to and for Rusty. (And WOW, I did not see that particular outcome of his weapons qualification troubles coming.)

* Rusty being so brave the whole time even though he was terrified, and being smart enough to get those letters onto the record. He looked so proud of himself.

* THE LAST SCENE. I keep watching it over and over, and ohhhh my heart. Those two. ♥♥♥

We have moved to this post for season three, in case you hadn't noticed yet. Come join us over there! :)

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Major Crimes 2.5 Homebase

General Comments (salutes)

2x12 Pick Your Poison

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2x13 Jailbait

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2x14 All In

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2x15 Curve Ball

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2x16 Risk Assessment

2x17 Year-End Blowout

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2x18 Return to Sender I

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2x19 Return to Sender II

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Season 3